Football Predictions: Florida State vs Wake Forest

November 14, 2009

The terrible season continues on Saturday for the Florida State Seminoles as they take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on the road. The latest football odds show the Seminoles are underdogs yet again as Wake is listed as a 4.5 point favorite with the over/under set at 58. If you are going to bet on football this weekend, then you might want to check out the $500 match bonus currently being offered by BetUS Sportsbook!

Christian Ponder, who was one of the top NFL prospects at the quarterback position, suffered a right shoulder separation against Clemson that requires season-ending surgery, so the Seminoles will have to go back to the drawing board with E.J. Manuel at QB. At 6’4″ and 225 pounds, Manuel certainly possesses the right kind of size to play quarterback, and was a prized catch for FSU, rated one of the top at his position in high school. Still, the learning curve is steep, and the testing ground, especially in that NCAA football sportsbook, isn’t always kind.

In terms of experience, Manuel is a stark contrast to Wake Forest’s Riley Skinner, who has started all four years at the school, and is the kind of blood-and-guts leader who the Demon Deacons know they can count on. Skinner played last week against Georgia Tech after suffering a concussion the week before, which is not necessarily something we cheer, but inspires lots of confidence in his teammates. He’s completed almost 66% of his passes, and he’ll be working on a Florida State secondary that has allowed 9.44 yards an attempt, more than anyone in the country.

FSU is in a tough spot, because they are going to have to win this one to have any shot at a bowl. Let’s face it – they are not going to beat Florida in the season finale, so wins here and against Maryland are mandatory if the ‘Noles want to see any post-season action. Here’s the thing – Bobby Bowden’s team should have gotten the clarion call at other points of this season, and they haven’t always answered.

Wake’s been beaten down by a few good rushing teams (Stanford, Clemson, Navy, Georgia Tech) but we wonder if FSU’s inconsistent ground attack can do sufficient damage. Somehow Wake coach has had Bowden’s number; his team has won three straight in teh series, and covered the last five. The only chance we’ve given Florida State to pull off upsets rested with Ponder, and now that has been eliminated.

We’re going with Wake Forest, the 4.5-point favorite in the BetUS NCAA football sportsbook odds.

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Posted by Steve Janus · Filed Under Football Picks 

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